When Rodeline Joseph was a young undergraduate deciding to pursue a career as a physician assistant, she weathered that journey without any mentors. She was a first-generation college student and did not personally know anyone working in the healthcare field, so she went through the process of graduate school and getting hired as a physician assistant largely by herself.
That experience led her to create Medsembly, an Atlanta-based startup that connects students who want to get into healthcare with working professionals in their prospective careers. On Thursday, the company announced the launch of its interactive mentoring platform available for both iOS and Android devices.
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“The platform basically solves the knowledge gaps that students experience as they are transitioning into their careers,” Joseph said in an interview. “Basically, you can think of it as a career resource tool and professional development tool for students and professionals.”
On Medsembly, students can search for mentors who work in fields related to their career interest. Students can use the messaging platform to talk with their mentors or set up video calls. Users can also access Medsembly mentors’ recorded webinars, day-in-the-life videos and “ask me anything” sessions whenever they choose.
The platform also allows students to request “tasks” from their mentors, such as a resume review, mock job interview or in-person shadowing. Mentors receive 50% commission on these tasks, and they are also able to receive continuing education credits towards their license through Medsembly.
Medsembly sells its platform to schools, which then allow their students to use its services for free. If a student who attends a school without a relationship with Medsembly wants to use the platform, they can join by paying a monthly or annual fee.
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Currently, the platform has about 900 student users and 200 mentors, Joseph said. Mentors span a range of professions, such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants and speech-language pathologists.
Medsembly’s target audience is first-generation college students, students of color, and other students who would not typically have access to a mentor working in the healthcare field, according to Joseph. As a woman of color, Joseph said she knows what it feels like to be entering a profession in which very few of your colleagues look like you. Medsembly was created with the purpose of equipping those students with the confidence and knowledge they need to succeed in a world that may seem initially unfamiliar to them.
There are other tech-enabled platforms where the medical community can connect and learn from one another — such as Doximity and The Rounds — but these are tailored toward healthcare professionals instead of focusing on students who are entering the field. Joseph contends that Medsembly is the only digital mentoring platform designed for students transitioning into their healthcare careers.
Amid the launch of its platform, the startup was recently accepted into the Techstars Atlanta accelerator program, from which it received a $120,000 investment. During the three-month program, Medsembly is receiving access to five TechStars mentors, who are providing guidance on business strategy, effective leadership skills and fundraising. It is the first time Joseph has ever had professional mentors in her life, she noted.
Photo: Medsembly